Arriving in California from Marrakesh in 1985 to go to college, a homesick, young Lahlou began to channel memories of watching his mother and aunts as they prepared traditional Moroccan dishes at home. In 2001, he opened Michelin-starred Aziza in San Francisco, named after his mother, where he adopts traditional Moroccan dishes in stunningly creative ways. In 2009, he won "Iron Chef America" by the largest margin in the history of the show.